


Curse of Reflection

by DreamHero



Series: Legend of Zelda Stories [8]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Curse Breaking, Curses, Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Magic Mirrors, Maybe you shouldn't touch random magic mirrors Link, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team Feels, Team as Family, Wild (Linked Universe) Angst, Wild (Linked Universe) Hero of Choice, Wild (Linked Universe)-centric, Wild (linked universe) - POV, Wind Curses Like A Pirate, healing past trauma, imposter syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:15:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27277108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamHero/pseuds/DreamHero
Summary: They should have known that mirror was cursed, but the Links' curiosity always won out over their common sense. Now each Hero is forced to take on the guise of a monster that best reflects their personal demons and fears.All... expect Wild that is. But Wild knows what he is becoming and he prays to every being that will listen that they can undo this magic before his transformation is complete, or the words of the curse really will come true.Wild will become the Hero's Bane.
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Four & Wind (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe), Legend & Warriors (Linked Universe), Time & Twilight (Linked Universe), Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe), Wild (Linked Universe) & Everyone
Series: Legend of Zelda Stories [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957054
Comments: 150
Kudos: 534





	1. Mirror Mirror In A Land So Far, Show Us Who We Really Are~

**Author's Note:**

> Another side series!? I know I'm crazy.
> 
> This is an idea I just suddenly thought up, when trying to think up a Halloween one-shot idea. (It spiraled a little farther than a one-shot obviously...)
> 
> This probably won't be 'too' big, but I hope you guys like it anyway. So without further ado...
> 
> Enjoy! :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe the Links shouldn't have touched that....

In Wild’s defense, he said he had a bad feeling. He said they shouldn’t touch it. He said- okay Wild hadn’t really _said_ anything, but he implied it heavily with his body language and annoyed look. 

Everyone knows he’s not a talker. And they had been in this corrupted Hyrule for so long, stuck in this tiny cramped brick-walled prison-(the others called it a dungeon and said it was perfectly normal, Wild still hated it and them for making him come down here), so he couldn’t tell anymore if his bad feeling was coming from the shiny new toy the other Links had found, the monster-infested maze, or just the whole Hyrule. 

The others were gathered around a black mirror, decorated with large pure white opals. It was set into the wall and tall enough that even if Warriors stood on top of Time’s shoulders he couldn’t reach the top of it. It took up almost all of the far wall. And writing far older and more detailed than anything he had ever seen was scratched into the stone around it-fading and probably illegible even if he could understand. 

Wind started poking at some of the shining opals with obvious greed glinting in his normally innocent childish eyes, “Think we could pry these buggers out and sell them in the next town?”

Four hummed and leaned closer to inspect, “Totally doable, you need to be careful removing gemstones though, so probably best to leave it to me.”

“How long do you think this has been here?” Warriors asked the room, leaning in close to the reflective black surface and smiling at his own reflection. 

“No idea,” Twilight mumbled, running his fingers over the black glass and slowly growing more and more disappointed every second. Wild knew he hoped it was a different kind of mirror. A special mirror that would let him see his dear friend again, but it would seem this was not the right kind of weird slightly off-putting mirror.

“It's definitely magic,” Legend mumbles batting Four’s hands away before he can start taking opals out of it, “don’t go defacing magical artifacts, they bite back you know!”

“What should we do then?” Hyrule asks staring up at the large mirror before glancing at the others. “Leave it?”

“We can’t do that!” Wind whines, flinging himself onto the mirror, “What if it's got all sorts of cool secrets?! What if it leads us to treasure?!”

“Doubt it kiddo,” Warriors huffed, ruffling Wind’s hair.

Wind pouted and stuck his tongue out at Warriors as Sky tilted his head curiously and pointed up towards the writing bordering the frame of the mirror, “that’s super old Hylian, but I can make out something about a ‘trial of light’?”

“That sounds cool,” Four smiles as the others crowd around Sky, who’s squinting up towards the ceiling trying to read the faded letters. Wild is tempted to inch closer, but something is telling him that would be a bad idea so he stays put near the door. 

Time points upward towards the writing with a curious gleam to his eye, “anything else Sky?”

“Uh…,” Sky squints even harder, standing on his tippy-toes, “something about meeting your fate, facing the darkness, and I think that’s the word for hero,” Sky tilts his head, “that or fish.”

“All that sounds like good things to me,” Warriors chimes. “Say how to turn it on?”

“It’s got a name, but other than that the rest is way too faded to read.”

“Tell us the name then!” Wind begs bouncing excitedly.

Sky smiles and straightens up, “The mirror of truth.” 

Wild feels the lingering sense of wrong turn into a spike of panic just a moment before the opals lining the mirror flash a blindingly bright white. The other heroes scream and stumble away, confusion and alarm painting their faces as they draw their weapons and circle up. Wild slides into place beside Twilight and Sky, summoning his own weapon even as his instincts scream at him to run. 

For a moment nothing happens, it's just the heavy panicked breathing of the heroes and too-bright light of the shining mirror, but then... words. An otherworldly voice void of emotion begins to fill his ears. Begins to recite a poem, a spell, a curse.

_To those who dare claim the honor of the light,  
Heed my words and face this trial of the night.  
May your fears and lies become your second skin,  
Let your flesh reflect your heart’s darkest sin._  


"Shit!" Legend yells glancing around frantically. "We need to get out now!"

But the door to the room, Wild had been guarding and standing in was now sealed. Closed with a heavy stone door carved with the same ancient writing as the mirror. This whole room was trapped. 

Warriors banged his fists angrily against the stone, "We're heroes!" he yells in frustration as the otherworldly voice continues to recite the curse above their heads, "we can break it down!"

"Then step aside," Twilight orders, lifting up the Ordon Sword and marching to the front, with a fierce glint of anger and determination glittering in his eyes. He swings heavy and hard, the sound of metal clashing against stone echoes loudly around the room, almost drowning out the sound of Sky's panicked rambling, Four's nervous tapping, and the curse weaving itself above them. But when Twilight pulls back, the door isn't even scratched.

"Magic," Hyrule breaths in defeat as the next verse of the spell begins.

_Within yourself is the needed power,  
Face your darkness and do not cower.  
Only when you are whole,  
Will the mirror reflect your soul.  
_

__

__

"Wait," Time cuts in, stopping Twilight from swinging again, and Legend from pulling out his fire rod. "Somethings happening."

Wild shifts his attention away from the door to the rest of the area, and sure enough, in the middle of the room, a faint sparkling blue light is beginning to glow. A faint tugging sensation starts in Wild's lower gut, and his breath catches as he stares at the slowly forming tear in reality. Maybe it was summoned by the huge magically energy of the mirror or maybe Hylia was taking pity and trying to save them from their own folly. 

"The Goddess!" Sky cheers, abandoning their attempts at the door and running towards the portal with a happy grin. "Come on!"

"Couldn't have been two minutes earlier huh?" Legend huffs as he jogs off after the others. 

Time and Twilight linger for a moment by the door, and Wild is tempted to pull them through himself, because now is not the time to be doubting a gift from a god. But Time sighs and starts running after the others and Twilight is quick to follow. 

Wild runs through the portal himself as the last words of the curse take hold of his body. As he is ripped away from this plain and into the next, he feels the magic twist in his chest, a deep ache that’s already taken root. The meaning is lost to him now, but the fear burns white-hot in his heart as the last words echo in his head…

_But be warned for if you waver,  
It will not be with the light you gain favor.  
You will meet a fate worse than any pain,  
For you will become the Hero’s Bane._  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of a new 'kinda' Halloween inspired story! I meant to have this out earlier, but I was never sure how to write the intro chapter(until at 1am last night when I wrote the entire first three chapters...)  
> (Also I've learned how to put text in the middle of stories and I'm super excited about it, could anyone tell?)
> 
> Hope you guys like this fun (sort of spooky story!) Leave a comment or kudos if you want!
> 
> See you in the next chapter! :)


	2. Mirror Mirror We Are Beside, Reflect The Darkness Inside~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Heroes realize just what the curse has done to them.

For the first time, Wild stumbles and falls when he crosses through the portal. He feels _off_. Like his body is getting used to being his again, like he’s relearning where he ends and the world begins all over. Just like when he woke up alone and cold trapped in a tomb. Supposed to be dead but not. No longer the hero but having to save everyone anyway- 

Wild forcibly snaps himself out of those thoughts and dizzily makes himself stand. Grassy plains and rolling hills. The sun is bright and high in the sky casting the land in a blanket of comfortable warmth. A herd of grazing horses eye him and his party with distrust but don’t run. Definitely not his Hyrule then. There’s no immediate threat within sight. Looks like they are safe for the time being.

“Monster!” someone yells behind him. Wild spins around, spots and colors dance in his eyes, and he stumbles half a step trying to regain some sense of something. When he looks up he’s convinced he’s still reeling from whatever the cruse did to him, but after a long moment of painful silence and everyone staring at everyone in horror and confusion. It dawns on Wild that, no, he’s not seeing things, the other heroes are monsters. Or rather, the other heroes have become monsters.

“What happened?” Hyrule asks softly and slowly, fear staining his voice as he glances around at all their faces. 

Wild instantly looks down to his own body, trying to remember if his memory matches what he sees. He thinks it looks the same, but he’s not sure he would be able to tell anyway. He’s spent so long purposefully not remembering his own face and body. A body that was never meant to be his. A body he stole from a true hero. Wild feels like he might be sick when he realizes he can’t tell if his skin is his own.

“Looks like that goddess damned cruse took effect even though we time-jumped,” Legend scowls as the tiny black folded ears on the top of his head twitch in agitation. 

“Well what the hell did it do?!” Wind asks waving his now blue scaled hands around, “I look like a fucking fish! I’m a pirate! I can’t be a salty bottom feeder trash fish!”

“Wind clam down, we can figure this out,” Twilight assures, running a hand through his hair and pausing when he runs into a dark brown wolf ear perched on top of his head.

“Yeah don’t complain kid, scales are nothing to horns,” Warriors grumbles trying to adjust his posture so his new set of red horns don’t overbalance him, “these things are heavy….,”

“Maybe stop complaining and figure out a way to fix this!” Four asks a little hysteric as he stares at his hands that appear to be made of several different body parts stitched together. 

Hyrule nods, his large black butterfly wings fluttering behind him as he pulls out a notebook from his bag, “Alright if we just repeat what the curse said we should be able to figure out how to undo it right?”

“The beginning was about an honor of light and a trial by night,” Legend repeats squinting at the intricate glittering tattoos now tracing his body, “shit this is some really high-level magic….”

“That last part wasn’t part of the curse,” Wind chimes helpfully as he stops tugging on his ear fins, after realizing that yes they are indeed attached and not coming off, “but the next lines were something about darkness and sin and hearts. Spooky shit.”

“Fears and lies are your second skin and your flesh showing your heart’s sin,” Sky quotes, finally tuning into the conversation now that he’s done admiring his new white feathered wings with awe.

“As I was steeping through I heard the last line,” Time says lowly, as everyone’s attention shifts to him for the first time. Time looks pretty much the same, minus the fact he’s a little see-through and hazy around the edges with wisps of blue gold sparks flickering around him. Wild hates how he instantly knows what he is, hates how the image conjures imagery of both Time and others pale and covered in crimson. Hates how it reminds Wild that he's the newest in the Timeline and under normal non-goldly circumstances this would be the only way he could see them.

Time continues speaking as though he can’t feel the stunned and haunted stares boring into him, “when you are fully whole. The mirror reflects your true soul.”

“I’m not sure that’s fully right,” Twilight mumbles, his tail slowly swaying behind him as his ear twitches.

Wind huffs and crosses his arms, his fins flexing, “Does it matter if the words are exact? Isn't it okay as long as we get the basic fucking meaning?”

“No,” Legend says with a hiss, “wording is very important in magic!”

Sky raises his hand before he speaks, even though no one calls on him, “I think there was an ‘only’ somewhere in the last line.”

Wild realizes something as the others toss around ideas and continue to quote the cruse as Hyrule quickly records it so they don’t forget. Wild was the last person through the portal. And the only person to hear the true last verse. He’s the only person in the party with the full curse. The others are monsters most likely of no fault of their own, but because they only were half cursed. Wild, however…

The weird twisting feeling in his chest almost seemed to pulse as his attention shifted to it. Hot and painful, settling deep inside his body and tingling nerves at the edges of his fingers and toes. Wild fought down the urge to wince and stubbornly stopped thinking about it. He could panic later. He needed to reassure and help the others now.

He turns to Twilight, and carefully tugs on the edge of his shirt to get his attention. Twilight’s immediately snapping his head in Wild’s direction. Twilight normally was easy to read with his heart on his sleeve, but the brown wolf ears twitching and twisting to face Wild and the swaying tail behind him make him even easier. It would almost be considered cute in any other situation. “We should set up camp,” he mumbles softly gesturing towards the open field they’ve landed in. 

Twilight’s now yellow silted eyes stare at him a moment longer then Wild thinks is necessary before he tares his eyes away and follows where his hand was pointing around the plains. Twilight nods absent-mindedly, slinging an arm around Wild’s shoulders and pulling him close with a wide happy grin. Wild has to fight his instinct to jolt away from him, but can’t help his stiffening as the thing in his chest swirls and spins.

“We can talk and walk, let’s move before this world’s actual monsters find us,” Twilight chimes.

Looks are exchanged around the group, along with glances around their surroundings, but the other Links nod and shuffle together, ready for further instructions. Time takes the front as normal, doing his normal headcount of them all, (the group had left Wild behind one to many times while he was out exploring or Four while he was off gathering metal or Twilight while he was out patrolling, that now the headcount was required(even though two of those people could rejoin the group with ease)). 

Time’s eye settles on Wild a moment too long, Wild pretends he doesn’t notice, folded under Twilight’s arm like a shield(suddenly very grateful for the other hero being so physical). Wild’s not sure why Time stares at him, the gaze feels more piercing now that his singular eye softly glows. But the stare only lasts a few tense seconds before Time’s turning around and ordering the group off in a seemingly random direction. 

Wild walks forward pressed against Twilight’s side and hating himself for how his skin itches and tingles at the prolonged contact. But he hates himself even more for the twisting knot of pain and power tangling itself in his chest, growing heavier and more painful with every step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the angst really starts... (also the first clue as to what everyone is!)
> 
> Do you guys think Wild is right? Was he the only one truly cursed or is something deeper going on? What monster do you think everyone is? 
> 
> Leave a comment or kudos if you are so inclined!
> 
> See you in the next update! :)


	3. Mirror Mirror Who We Blame, Give Us Each A Suiting Name~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Heroes find names for what they have been turned into.

He should have been paying more attention. Wild knew something was up, he could feel it. But it wasn’t until they were deciding if the clearing they had found in a nearby forest would be a good resting place that everything finally clicked. Four had been on edge the whole day, he was the one taking this whole monster thing the worse out of everyone. 

“This is fine!” Four had huffed, gesturing to the admittingly ‘okay’ clearing, it wouldn’t be Wild’s first choice, but they were all stressed and needed to figure this curse out, and Wild really needed to do something. It was getting hard to not wince as he walked and Twilight would notice soon. “Let’s ask the Hero of Wilds then if you’re so unconvinced! Wild is this okay?!”

“Wait!-,” Twilight yelled using the arm around Wild to tug him back and behind him. Normally Wild would have no problem with being a little manhandled, but Twilight was stronger than normal and Wild was already off-balance from the pain. He didn’t even stumble, just fell like a sack of potatoes, hitting the ground hard. 

Wild knew he made some sort of sound that he was going to be undoubtedly embarrassed about later, but he couldn’t really process anything past the ringing in his head and the swirling colors in his eyes, causing everything to go burly. And the twisting knot of whatever was in Wild’s body pulsed and tried to do _something_. Wild bit back a groan as he forced whatever it was down, causing the pain to double as it just burned hotter in his blood. Angry he wouldn’t let it out. Wild didn’t even know what it was. He wasn’t-

“Wild?” That was Twilight, why did he sound so concerned and worried? Wild pushed himself up a little, his hood slipping off its perch, Wild couldn’t even find it in himself to care. All his mental strength was being given to keeping the festering tangle of power contained and trying to find Twilight’s blurry form through the yellow haze in his eyes. 

“Oh goddess Wild, you didn’t change!” Wild was pretty sure that was Sky, and sure enough, turning towards the voice he found a mostly white blob a few feet away.

“Shit!” Legend cursed from… Wild couldn’t exactly tell which of the three blobs was him but he was somewhere to his right. “I didn’t even think about how it would affect someone already literally steeped in magic!”

“Is that a bad thing?” Wind. Or-no definitely Wind. Maybe. Probably. 

“To much magic can cause overloads,” Hyrule whispers, and Wild knows it’s Hyrule, because no one else would try and not let him hear the fact he might literality be dying from too much magic. It would explain the tangled bubble of pain and power in his chest. 

“Overloads like-,” Warriors starts but he gets cut off.

“Stop talking about what it can do and help the poor boy up,” Time bites, his authority voice ringing loud and clear across camp. Time was taking to his new incorporeal form very poorly. He was doing his best not to show it, but Time obviously missed being able to touch things. 

Suddenly a figure was looming over him, Wild recoiled slightly, brain still scrambled and mostly focused on trying to stop himself from ‘overloading’ as Hylure put it ever so politely. But he eases ever so slightly when he’s able to pick out the now only slightly blurry form of Sky hovering over him, Twilight just a half step behind.

“I’m going to pick you up now,” Sky says softly reaching out towards Wild slowly, and glancing up at Twilight as though asking if he’s doing the right thing. If Wild could think even a tiny bit clearer he would frown and tell Sky off, unfortunately, he can’t so he settles with a soft huff, and letting Sky’s hands pull him to his feet. Wild almost jerks himself away from the grip on instinct, not because of the physical contact but because touching Sky feels like getting hit by a slightly less angry than normal Electric Wizzrobe. 

Wild sways, but manages to stand on his own, even as dots of yellow and sparks of tingling power trace up his veins and tangle with the thing in chest and pulse together painfully. Wild stumbles, but he doesn’t fall. He takes a steadying breath, forcing down the pain like he’s done so many times, and focuses back on the other heroes who have all gathered around him in a loose circle, curious and worried.

Wild glares, they shuffle and look to each other, having a silent conversation over his head that he can’t read. Finally, Time interrupts the tense silence with a sigh, “if Wild says he’s fine, then let’s believe him.” Twilight opens his mouth to protest, but Time sends him a look and Twilight’s ears are flattening and he’s quite as Time continues, “Let’s start with what we do know. Legend, Hyrule, you are our magic experts here. Any ideas on how to break it?”

“I’ve never seen anything this powerful before…,” Hyrule admits dejectedly hanging his head and not meeting any of their gazes, “I wouldn’t even know where to start! I can’t even tell you what kind of creature most of us are. I’m no expert here.”

Legend snaps to attention, snapping his fingers and pointing at Hyrule with a too-wide grin, “maybe no expert sure, but that’s a goddess damned good idea of where to start sparkles!”

“Sparkles?” Hyrule repeats in confusion at the same time Warriors snorts, “Sparkles! I’m using that.”

“Do you mind telling us what you’re doing for the rest of the group who don’t know anything about magic?” Four asks crossing his arms and glaring at Legend who’s digging through his bag aggressively, tossing out all sorts of items in a hurry.

“Hyrule was right about this being super complex magic, but he had a good idea,” he says grudgingly making a small ‘ahah!’ noise as he pulls out a dusty stack of books. “We don’t know what everyone was turned into. First step to undoing any magical effect. Figure out how,” he says slowly, flipping open a large leather-bound book with a snap, “once we know what we are, we can figure out why, then how. And once we know the how we can work backwards and undo this whole nonsense.”

“Well some of us are a little damn obvious,” Wind says failing to hide his smile, even as he glances around the clearing conspiratorially, “we could play a game trying to figure out what everyone else is and why!” 

“I don’t know if that’s-,” Sky starts before Warriors cuts in with a chuckle, “Let the kid have his fun, and it's better than reading Legend’s giant stack of books.”

Legend sends a glare over the rim of his book, but says nothing about the insult as he flips another page with a huff.

Four crosses his arms with a scowl, “Well some of us make total sense, like Twilight,” he says pointing towards the man currently adorned with a pair of brown wolf ears and a matching tail, “and then there’s Legend and Warriors and me,” he gestures to his own undead stitched together flesh, Legend’s black animal ears and tattoos, and then to Warriors and his red-tinted skin and horns. 

“I’m not obvious,” Twilight huffs his ears twitching and tail straightening in challenge. 

“Twilight, buddy,” Warriors says with a pointed look, “you are literally a wolf.” 

Twilight pouts and the effect is doubled by his folding ears and hanging tail, “Just because I’m a wolf doesn’t mean I become a wolf monster.” 

“So ignoring the sulking werewolf,” Legend cuts back in as he turns the book he’s holding around. “I think I figured out what Warriors is,” He states with a wicked smirk as he shows everyone the picture on the page of a hot pink and completely naked female demon.

“Legend!” Warriors yells, face flushed as he dives for Legend or maybe the book. Legend laughs so hard he falls off the log he’s sitting on before Warriors can get to him. “Take that back! I’m not a sex demon!”

“You could be,” Legend counters, evil smirk still in place, “But your probably more likely some sort of war demon, born out of bloodshed and hate.” Warriors stops chasing Legend, suddenly recoiling with a slightly horrified expression. Legend’s smile wavers and morphs into something less teasing, “but without seeing you use any abilities the most I can narrow you down is demon, so incubus is still on the table.”

“You-,”

“So!” Sky cuts in before the fight can escalate any further, “Can we all agree Time is a ghost? And Hyrule is a fairy?”

There’s a chorus of nods and ‘yeps’ and ‘yeses,’ Time just hums and Hyrule flushes red, his wings fluttering quickly behind him and covering the nearby shrubs with glitter. Wild flinches ever so slightly as he watches the underbrush covered in sparkling black glitter slowly wilt. Whatever Hyrule is it’s not a normal fairy. 

“And you’re an angel,” Hyrule says back and its Sky’s turn to blush and stutter and deny, but no one really pays his ramblings about sacrilege any mind as they continue with the last few unknowns. 

Wind raises his hand into the air proudly, “That just leaves me, Four and Legend!” he narrows his eyes at Four who stares back with a huff, “and I’m pretty sure Four’s not breathing anymore, sooo he’s some kinda undead shit right?”

There’s a frantic panic as Hyrule lunges for Four to check if that’s true as Four chokes on breath and forces himself to breathe. A rushed yelling filled minute latter reveals that yes, Four is undead, and no longer has to breathe, blink, or seemingly worry about any of the other stuff alive creatures do. 

Legend nods absent-mindedly from his resumed reading, flipping a few dozen pages before turning the book around again. It’s a picture of a much uglier and mismatched looking man then Four, obviously dead much longer before he was forced back to life, but he’s stitched together and obviously still sentient. The name above it reads in fancy letters “Frankenstein.”

“Well I would like to say knowing what I am helps but…,” Somehow Four gets even paler despite being dead and shakes his head, “It really really doesn’t help at all.”

“Sorry Four,” Warriors says with a sympathetic smile giving the small hero a pat on the back, “but all we have to figure out now is the kid and Legend.”

Wind glares at Warriors for the kid comment, as Legend picks up another book, and tosses his old one to a fumbling Hyrule, who quickly catches it. “Look for anything water-based, sirens, sprites, silkies. Those types of things.”

“You think I’m a siren?” Wind asks, and Wild can’t quite tell if its excitement or fear that laces Wind’s voice, for everyone’s sanity, Wild hopes its fear.

“You’re probably just some type of merfolk or Zora,” Sky says before pausing tilting his head, “The other races shouldn’t be monsters though so he can’t-,”

“The word monster is defined only by what the creator of the curse meant it to mean, so theoretically yes, Wind could be Zora if the spell caster considered Zora monsters, but looking at Wind I highly doubt that’s what he is.” Legend informs.

“Is…,” Hyrule starts slowly turning his book to show Legend, who nods before turning it around to show the group, “we think this is it Wind.”

Wind immediately runs up to the book, bouncing excitingly as he starts reading out facts with a slowly dropping smile, “A Grindylow! A relatively low-level monster mostly found in swamps, ponds, and rivers, though swarms can also be found near ocean beaches on occasion. Grindylows are most known for their scaled fish and goblin-like appearance and the fact that they drown and eat small children-,” Wind stops reading to make an offended noise, “-wait, I can’t be- fuck you!” he protests turning on Legend with an offended face. 

“I don’t pick what you are kid, I just identify. You have a problem you take it up with the curse.”

Wind huffs and stalks off to sulk, mumbling curses Wild's never heard and never wants to hear again as he goes. He flops angrily down next to Four who’s also still upset about his monster persona. 

Legend snaps closed his book, “Okay, and that’s everyone. I’ll be bowering Hyrule to do some research. Anyone else skilled in runes or magic is welcome to join but-,”

“What about you?” Twilight asks, with a raised brow.

“Me?”

“We never figured out what you are,” Sky clarifies with a soft smile and a ruffle of his wings.

Legend’s face hardens and he tightens his grip on the book in his hand, a dangerous glint shining in his eyes, “I know what I am.”

“Are you going to tell us?” Warriors prodded with a smirk, eyeing the little black animal ears on the top of Legend’s head.

“Why? I’m going to do all the work to break the curse anyway.”

“Because we told everyone!” Wind protests, ear fins flapping.

“Life isn’t fair kid. No.”

“Legend come on,” Hyrule eases with a gentle smile, “It can’t be that bad.”

“Yeah,” Warriors huffs, crossing his arms with an overly dramatic eye roll, “it has to better than sex demon and stitched together undead monster. Tell us.”

There’s a long pause as everyone stares at Legend, he huffs and looks away before he sighs, grumbling out something none of them can hear, expect Wild and maybe Twilight,

“Baku.”

Wild pauses, he feels like he’s heard of that before. A bedtime story about a creature who protected children. Why would Legend be ashamed of that? It’s not even an evil creature.

“A what?” Wind asks, just as Warriors says, “louder for the class Legend!”

Legend turns to Warriors with a deadly look, and tattoos and runes lacing his skin glowing ever so softly as he answers.

“A dream eater.”

Legend says it with such venom and hate that the clearing falls silent, an air of tension thick and heavy over the camp. No one says anything when Legend scoops up half the books and storms into the underbrush, Hyrule quickly casing after him. No one says anything for a long time, even after they are long gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally know what exactly each monster everyone is! (I use the term monster here loosely, basically anything that's not the main races of Hyrule.)
> 
> What do you think is going on with Wild? Do you think the other heroes correctly named/identified everyone? What do you think will happen next?
> 
> Leave a comment or kudos if you guys want! (I love reading them!)
> 
> See you next time! :)


	4. Mirror Mirror That I See, Show Everyone The Real Me~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild learns just what is happening to him.

Camp was quiet the following night. 

Wild didn’t know why Legend was so upset, and by the others hushed conversations and worried glances towards the woods, he doubted they knew either. But the weight of the venom and pain and hate of Legend’s voice hung about the group like a physical being. As though an invisible fog of regret had descended and filled all the gaps between them. 

Warriors paced around camp for a few minutes with heavy long strides, before sighing loud enough to startle the rest of camp. Then without a word he turned on his heel and marched off into the woods the same way Legend had gone; no one stopped him. Sky was reading one of the books Legend had left, flipping its yellowing pages with care and gentleness as he mumbled to himself about the history of curses and magically theory. Wind tried reading some of the books before giving up and moving over to Four to help him reattach one of his fingers that had fallen off. Time was quietly practicing in the corner trying to move objects despite still being incorporeal. Wild just hoped the practice wouldn’t turn him into a poltergeist or some other evil spirit. And Twilight was watching them all quietly, resuming his favorite pastime of patrolling around camp.

Wild wasn’t really doing anything, he had tried making dinner, but his body wasn’t responding when he wanted it to, there was a disconnect between his brain and fingers and the memories of his first days of life swam in front of his mind making it even harder. Wild had been gently (and firmly) led away from the cooking pot. He was currently stuck sitting on a log watching the others walk on eggshells, trying not to disturb the unknown landmines littering the ground. It was unendingly boring and very bad.

The twisting knots of power and magic tangled in Wild’s body were growing stronger with every breath. It was almost hard to move now. Wild knew he would have to do something, or whatever it was would overcome him.

So he waited. Waited just long enough till the pain was near unbearable, but the others were all busy, turned away, and not paying him any mind. Wild channeled every drop of Shiekah training his body remembered and snuck away into the dead of night. 

All Wild could do as he walked was think. And all he could think about was the pulsing painful ache in his bones. He hoped he was wrong. He so desperately hoped he was wrong.

He collapsed by a spring, the pain shaking his form and the sound of gentle water easing his fraying senses. He was going crazy. Everything felt louder, clearer, more present. Wild felt more real than he ever had in his life. It was driving him mad.

With a stuttering breath, he let his already slipping control fully fall. He didn’t know what would happen when he did, but he hoped the others could forgive him for whatever nightmare beast he became. He didn’t feel any different, but the other’s had claimed their new parts and abilities felt like they had always been there, so Wild had no way of knowing if he could tell. He took another slow settling breath as the pain slowly unwound in his chest and he glanced down to see the damage. He froze.

The image staring back at him was the same. Everything looked the same except… Wild felt panic rise in him as he took in the one glaringly obvious difference from his appearance moments before. His eyes were glowing gold.

No no no. What was he becoming? Why was it slower than the others? Why was he different? Why-

Wild stopped, slowly his too-tight grip on his hair loosened as the answer swam numbly around his mind like a lazy fish in a shallow pool on a burning summer day. The curse made them become reflections of their secrets and fears. A monstrous form to show their ugly truths. 

But Wild was never scared of monsters. He understood them better than Hylians most days. Monsters were easy, all instinct and bloodlust. Without the corruption, Wild believed they might not be so terrible. Hylians and the other races on the other hand were complex, all predetermined rules and ridge structures and careful words. Wild for all he had done to save Hyrule knew how he looked to the people with their warm homes, stone craved laws, and normal lives. He heard the whispers that followed him like ghosts through towns, grit his teeth as he accepted quests any semi-competent person could achieve on their own, and took the anger and hate for a man he never was. He knew that they thanked him for what he did for them, for how he had saved them from so much, but he also knew they could never understand how or why. It had been a long time since Wild fought the label of 'monster' his own people had given him. Wild agreed most days.

Wild was never afraid of being a monster. Monsters never scared him. Not like the other Links, the other heroes. Wild was scared of his duty, of being different, of being alone.

And what was more alone than this? Then the eyes of melted gold staring back at him from the pool. Then the swirling threads of power slowly untangling in his chest? Then the ever so faint voices on the wind begging for help?

Wild knew what he was becoming. He prayed they could reverse the cruse before the change was permanent. He got up and almost tripped backwards when he noticed that all around tiny wildflowers had started to bloom- he would have to be careful from now on. He couldn’t let the others find out. They were suffering enough under their own curse, and he could see how the strain of the ‘overload’ was affecting the whole camp. He couldn’t give them another thing to fret over, not when Wild could handle and control it on his own. Wild wouldn’t give them his burden to bear as well.

He walked back to camp in silence and pretended he didn’t notice how trees and bushes bended their branches out of his way ever so slightly, or how animals watched him pass with wide curious eyes or how every inch of him felt more alive and finely _his_. Wild ignored it all, kept walking like he didn’t know what terrible thing he was becoming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a little smaller, but I figured the introspectiveness of Wild needed to be its own chapter. 
> 
> What do you guys think is happening to Wild? Do you think they can actually gain the abilities of their monster? Do you think Time will be able to touch things again? 
> 
> Kudos and comments are always loved! 
> 
> Thanks for reading see you next chapter! :)


	5. Mirror Mirror Broken Apart, Is This Our True Final Start?~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild returns to camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I know I've been gone for a while, and this isn't the most exciting chapter, but I'm starting off a little slow. Hope it's a least a little entertaining! Thanks for sticking with me guys! :)

Wild slipped back into camp without anyone even knowing he had gone. 

Legend, Hyrule, and Warriors had returned to camp, and everyone had been distracted trying to give them space while also trying to eavesdrop. No one even noticed Wild had left. Wild fought down the ugly dark thing that reared its head when he noticed not even Twilight had seen that he had been missing for over an hour. It was a terrible ugly feeling and made something dark and painful knot and tug in his chest. Wild hated it, hated how bitter and ugly and real it felt. 

Wild carefully slipped back onto his log, struggling to keep down the new knot of pain balling itself in his gut. He had thought he was done with this, that he was free from being in pain, but… 

Wild shook his head roughly and pulled his slate out more aggressively than normal. But none of the others were paying him any attention. He summoned a few ingredients from his bag, quickly beginning to peel them just a tad too roughly. 

He had been told not to make dinner, but Wild wasn’t feeling like he was being torn apart at the seams anymore by something he couldn’t identify; Wild knew what the horrible feeling in his heart was this time. He could make a simple vegetable soup even in his sleep; doing it with a bitter pain in his bones would be nothing. Everyone needed some good food after their day, and the familiar motion was slowly started to help reground him, clamming the hurricane of darkening thoughts in his head. By the time he was done with the prep work, he had almost forgotten about the others not noticing his absence-almost. 

He pointedly avoided Time’s worried frown and Sky’s concerned eyes as he set up the cauldron above the fire, using water already stored in his slate to fill the pot. He continued to ignore the others even as he felt Twilight approach behind him, calling his name softly with a hint of concern and worry. Wild stubbornly kept his eyes fixed on the slowly boiling pot of water as he carefully added the ingredients in at the right time. 

A hand settled on his shoulder, Wild tensed, sending his kitchen knife roughly in the chopping board on his lap and not the carrot he had been meaning to slice. “Wild,” Twilight’s too soft voice, the one he reserved for when he was worried and confused, and trying to fight off some sort of instincts from his wolf side. “We know you’re not feeling well; you don’t have to make food.”

Wild bit back all the dark and ugly thoughts that flashed through his head, _if you know? What do you know? Not me. Remember, I’m not like you-not a real-_. Wild forced the thoughts aside and settled instead on a hum, chopping the last of the carrot and sliding it into the soup. Wild was pretty much done with cooking away. All he needed to do now was season and stir.

Twilight sighed behind him, “At least let me help?”

Wild hesitated, wooden spoon hovering in the air, as he stared into the slowly bubbling pot of earthy colored liquid. Twilight was a pretty terrible cook if the meal wasn’t anything involving meat, but the offer was genuine, and Wild was tired. The pain hurt and the anger poisoning. Wild shifted just a half step to the left, he was still a little upset at being so easily forgotten, but he could stop being angry for now.

Twilight’s smile was blinding as he slid into place next to him like he belonged there. Picking up the spoon, Wild offered without a word as he started to whistle a tune and stir the soup a tad too aggressively. Wild didn’t tell him to stop, nor did he fight down the budding smile blooming across his own face as he joined Twilight in humming the Song of Healing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this way earlier, but here you guys go!   
> Fanart! - cipher-wise-art.tumblr . com/post/636195684657299456/ive-now-finished-two-if-you-havent-read
> 
> Comment or kudos as always!  
> See you lovely people next time! :)

**Author's Note:**

> End for Now! But more is coming so stay tuned dear readers!
> 
> While waiting for the next chapter I recommend reading my other works in this series.
> 
> See you next time! :)


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